This will probably be a short entry. I'm supposed to be working out, but today is a special day, being Sept. 11th. I don't think I'm in any danger of ever forgetting that day.
In fact, I was working out that morning at the time (miraculously I'm still overweight and not getting any thinner. Hmmm.) when Joe came running into the bedroom and said, "Hey, turn on the TV! Some plane just plowed into the World Trade Center."
"What an idiot!" I said, assuming it was a private plane, "Hold on, I have to do abs."
So I finished and went into the living room to do situps and was watching the coverage, thinking a private jet pilot might have made a miscalculation or had a heart attack or something. Then I looked closer and realized it was a commercial airline. Then, as we watched, a second plane slammed into the second tower and we knew it was no mistake.
I went on to work (in the same building where I work now), we hooked up a TV in the main lobby and all stood around watching the news trying to figure out what was really happening, marveling at how ironic it was that the date was 911. One of the office girls who's super (and falsely) religious husband wouldn't let them watch TV wandered in and said, "Hey, what's everybody watching?"
What, indeed. We still didn't know for sure.
Most of those people I worked with are gone now, some dead, and some just moved on to other jobs. We pulled the flatbed tractor trailer into the front part of the building, stood on it that night and held a candlelight vigil for the victims. It seemed like the whole area was filled with candles and mourners.
Days like this one remind me that no matter what I have to do for work or to survive, I must not forget what keeps my soul alive- family, friends, and creating.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
An update, a year overdue
So, since I haven't been here in a really long time, I'll stop promising that I'm going to get better at updating this, since I never follow through. But I will brief you on what's been going on.
I went back to work at the nightmare company that laid me off for 6 months, and in a very short time, I found myself being appointed manager of the branch of the company that I had started with 16 years ago. Shortly after that, they announced that they would be liquidating the company, something most of us had seen coming for years, but things were so bad for so long, that we were finally pretty surprised when it actually came to pass.
As soon as it was announced that this company was closing, a feeding frenzy began with other companies trying to hire all of us that were still with this company, presumably because they wanted the customer base that would follow us and maybe wanted some of the seasoned people that had lots of industry insight.
So, after all the smoke settled, I'm managing the SAME branch, but it's owned by another company, and I am working with the 2 best of the employees I was working with before. Which is great. I'm working 50+ hours a week, but what the hay. They pay me, supply my vehicle and the gas, and pay my entire family's health insurance. So I won't complain. We'll see what happens down the road. I might get laid off again, I might not. But it's working for now.
I went back to work at the nightmare company that laid me off for 6 months, and in a very short time, I found myself being appointed manager of the branch of the company that I had started with 16 years ago. Shortly after that, they announced that they would be liquidating the company, something most of us had seen coming for years, but things were so bad for so long, that we were finally pretty surprised when it actually came to pass.
As soon as it was announced that this company was closing, a feeding frenzy began with other companies trying to hire all of us that were still with this company, presumably because they wanted the customer base that would follow us and maybe wanted some of the seasoned people that had lots of industry insight.
So, after all the smoke settled, I'm managing the SAME branch, but it's owned by another company, and I am working with the 2 best of the employees I was working with before. Which is great. I'm working 50+ hours a week, but what the hay. They pay me, supply my vehicle and the gas, and pay my entire family's health insurance. So I won't complain. We'll see what happens down the road. I might get laid off again, I might not. But it's working for now.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Will it EVER stop raining?
It's really looking like it might not.
Someone pointed out to me the other day, that I don't update this thing very often. So true. To be perfectly honest, my first love is art. Hence the title of the blog. So if I don't feel like committing to writing about a particular topic, I tend to stay away altogether and I just post my latest paintings on facebook. I am going to open an Etsy store, don't know if that will get me anywhere or not, but it's worth a shot. I've been doing some smaller, simpler pieces I can sell at a lower price point, so maybe I'll try marketing those for awhile. My job search for a better job is not fleshing out as well as I would like. I will keep trying, though. I want a good job this time.
I was on a site recently where a bunch of us were listing the types of jobs we have had, and I realized that most of my jobs have been really crappy. And in most of them, I worked for terrible people. I would like to have a good job before I die. It would be nice to know the feeling of actually liking my work. Not that I've hated every single job, but I've been able to talk myself up into being able to find all of them tolerable. Telling myself that everyone has jobs they don't like something about, and they are necessary and I will get through it. So what I want is a job that I like, believe in, and that treats me well. One time. One time, because I'll be 52 next week and I'm hoping if I find the right job, that it will be the one I retire from. Although being unemployed right now, I kind of am retired, except I spend a lot of time looking for jobs online because I feel I should work at this age. At least until my youngest is out of college and on his own.
So mostly I'm looking for work, trying to get my housework done, chase after the puppy, and painting as much as possible and putting the work in a few different places so that it's seen in various locations around town. Oh, and eating every 3 hours in an effort to lose weight on Medifast, which I unaffectionately call "space food". Which for the past couple weeks seems to be remarkably unaffective. Also my back is killing me. Lord, I'm just a joy, aren't I?
I'll try to continue here with a little more regularity and put some more pics on here. The pics are tricky here though, so no promises.
Someone pointed out to me the other day, that I don't update this thing very often. So true. To be perfectly honest, my first love is art. Hence the title of the blog. So if I don't feel like committing to writing about a particular topic, I tend to stay away altogether and I just post my latest paintings on facebook. I am going to open an Etsy store, don't know if that will get me anywhere or not, but it's worth a shot. I've been doing some smaller, simpler pieces I can sell at a lower price point, so maybe I'll try marketing those for awhile. My job search for a better job is not fleshing out as well as I would like. I will keep trying, though. I want a good job this time.
I was on a site recently where a bunch of us were listing the types of jobs we have had, and I realized that most of my jobs have been really crappy. And in most of them, I worked for terrible people. I would like to have a good job before I die. It would be nice to know the feeling of actually liking my work. Not that I've hated every single job, but I've been able to talk myself up into being able to find all of them tolerable. Telling myself that everyone has jobs they don't like something about, and they are necessary and I will get through it. So what I want is a job that I like, believe in, and that treats me well. One time. One time, because I'll be 52 next week and I'm hoping if I find the right job, that it will be the one I retire from. Although being unemployed right now, I kind of am retired, except I spend a lot of time looking for jobs online because I feel I should work at this age. At least until my youngest is out of college and on his own.
So mostly I'm looking for work, trying to get my housework done, chase after the puppy, and painting as much as possible and putting the work in a few different places so that it's seen in various locations around town. Oh, and eating every 3 hours in an effort to lose weight on Medifast, which I unaffectionately call "space food". Which for the past couple weeks seems to be remarkably unaffective. Also my back is killing me. Lord, I'm just a joy, aren't I?
I'll try to continue here with a little more regularity and put some more pics on here. The pics are tricky here though, so no promises.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
...And another thing!
You know, people on facebook really piss me off when they are constantly bitching about what Americans are supposed to be doing about the war, the tsunami, the school system, the art community, blah blah blah. What are they doing? Going to their jobs at Starbucks and bitching about what all the rest of us are supposed to be doing.
Be a part of the change you want to see, people.
Be a part of the change you want to see, people.
Do I really want to work?
So, I'm about 4 months unemployed now. I've been looking for work online, mostly with the state for the superior benefits package they have, which is mostly why I worked in the first place. So far I haven't really gotten any nibbles, but I'm not giving up. I'm also shopping for cheaper health insurance, since $1400 plus per month really seems like a lot to me.
What I'm noticing is that many employers are really taking advantage of the poor job market to require lots of experience without actually paying the usual wage for that type of experience. Yes, there are Phd's out of work, but that doesn't mean they want to make 10 bucks an hour. Or that they can afford to. You can make more on unemployment. It reminds me of my brief (very brief) adventure working for a dentist. At the time, I was living in CT and working at a beauty supply factory. Divina, it was called. They manufactured shampoos, hydrogen peroxide, cream rinse, etc. I was the floor foreman. I was making $7 per hour (it was over 20 years ago), but after working there for 2 months I was making more than the people who had been there for 20 years and worked the lines. Frankly, I found it very depressing. So I applied for a job with a dentist. When he called to offer the job, he didn't discuss pay. He assured me that we'd be able to come to an agreement and I would be happy with it.
Not being a total trusting idiot, I called in sick to the factory for my first day of working with the dentist so I would have a job to go back to if it didn't work out. I know, it's lousy, but I had to look out for myself. Besides, this factory was a place where sometimes new hires would ask where the bathroom was and never come back. It wasn't Intel, that's for sure. Anyway, I went in to work for the dr. First I was given my instructions on where to park (a pay lot, $20 per week, my responsibility), then I was told what to wear (white nursing clothes I would have to buy). Then they showed me how we jump out to the waiting room whenever it was empty to straighten magazines, etc. Then type dictated referral letters, answer the phones, fill out the charts, yada yada. Oh, and when not busy, clean the bathrooms. And by the way, at the doctors' command SCRUB UP AND ASSIST. Which none of them, and I, was definitely not qualified to do.
Apparently, this did not matter. I was pretty freaked out about that.
So at the end of this very long day, the dentist calls me into his office, he asks me how I enjoyed it, I blow smoke up his ass, and then he offers me $7 per hour. Um, no thanks. I told him that wasn't going to work for me. So I left, and he went out and got into his convertible Mercedes and went home, I assume, or to his girlfriends' house or something.
I guess the point I'm making is that lots of employers are really really cheap. And it's getting worse in times like these.
Maybe I'll get a paper route.
What I'm noticing is that many employers are really taking advantage of the poor job market to require lots of experience without actually paying the usual wage for that type of experience. Yes, there are Phd's out of work, but that doesn't mean they want to make 10 bucks an hour. Or that they can afford to. You can make more on unemployment. It reminds me of my brief (very brief) adventure working for a dentist. At the time, I was living in CT and working at a beauty supply factory. Divina, it was called. They manufactured shampoos, hydrogen peroxide, cream rinse, etc. I was the floor foreman. I was making $7 per hour (it was over 20 years ago), but after working there for 2 months I was making more than the people who had been there for 20 years and worked the lines. Frankly, I found it very depressing. So I applied for a job with a dentist. When he called to offer the job, he didn't discuss pay. He assured me that we'd be able to come to an agreement and I would be happy with it.
Not being a total trusting idiot, I called in sick to the factory for my first day of working with the dentist so I would have a job to go back to if it didn't work out. I know, it's lousy, but I had to look out for myself. Besides, this factory was a place where sometimes new hires would ask where the bathroom was and never come back. It wasn't Intel, that's for sure. Anyway, I went in to work for the dr. First I was given my instructions on where to park (a pay lot, $20 per week, my responsibility), then I was told what to wear (white nursing clothes I would have to buy). Then they showed me how we jump out to the waiting room whenever it was empty to straighten magazines, etc. Then type dictated referral letters, answer the phones, fill out the charts, yada yada. Oh, and when not busy, clean the bathrooms. And by the way, at the doctors' command SCRUB UP AND ASSIST. Which none of them, and I, was definitely not qualified to do.
Apparently, this did not matter. I was pretty freaked out about that.
So at the end of this very long day, the dentist calls me into his office, he asks me how I enjoyed it, I blow smoke up his ass, and then he offers me $7 per hour. Um, no thanks. I told him that wasn't going to work for me. So I left, and he went out and got into his convertible Mercedes and went home, I assume, or to his girlfriends' house or something.
I guess the point I'm making is that lots of employers are really really cheap. And it's getting worse in times like these.
Maybe I'll get a paper route.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Snowpocalypse!!!
That's right, SNOW! In the winter, no less!!
Yes. I am being a smartass. It's just that our local news station has been talking about the snow, the snow, the snow, for about 3 days now. We got about an inch which melted off before noon today. I don't mind the snow for me, but I hate that my kids have to drive in it to get to work. You have to understand that around here, we just don't get much severe weather and this little bit makes people crazy on the road. People that will be driving around with MY BABIES on the road! Whew. Calm down, momma bear. I feel better now.
I actually am happy that there's snow on the mountains because I haven't been skiing enough this year. The thing I don't like about winter is how crappy everything looks in the mud with the dead leaves and ick. While on my walk today, one of my neighbors had something on their lawn that was either a used pantiliner, or the insole of a ballet shoe, neither of which I am anxious to know the history of.
On an unrelated note, I am still looking for a job probably not hard enough, but whatever. I worked at a job I hated for 15 years solid, give me a break. I have sold some paintings. As a matter of fact I just sold the one that is on the beginning of this blog, the one with the leaves. Which I didn't even want to sell, I painted it for the front desk area of my friends' salon. So I had to paint another very similar one for them to replace it. I also decided against displaying paintings with the art association for now. That's a whole other post, though.
Yes. I am being a smartass. It's just that our local news station has been talking about the snow, the snow, the snow, for about 3 days now. We got about an inch which melted off before noon today. I don't mind the snow for me, but I hate that my kids have to drive in it to get to work. You have to understand that around here, we just don't get much severe weather and this little bit makes people crazy on the road. People that will be driving around with MY BABIES on the road! Whew. Calm down, momma bear. I feel better now.
I actually am happy that there's snow on the mountains because I haven't been skiing enough this year. The thing I don't like about winter is how crappy everything looks in the mud with the dead leaves and ick. While on my walk today, one of my neighbors had something on their lawn that was either a used pantiliner, or the insole of a ballet shoe, neither of which I am anxious to know the history of.
On an unrelated note, I am still looking for a job probably not hard enough, but whatever. I worked at a job I hated for 15 years solid, give me a break. I have sold some paintings. As a matter of fact I just sold the one that is on the beginning of this blog, the one with the leaves. Which I didn't even want to sell, I painted it for the front desk area of my friends' salon. So I had to paint another very similar one for them to replace it. I also decided against displaying paintings with the art association for now. That's a whole other post, though.
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